Conor Gallagher has said he is yet to decide his future next season and remains focus on a strong end to his loan spell at Crystal Palace.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a fine campaign away from his parent club Chelsea, scoring eight goals and registering five assists to win Premier League Young Player of the Year at last week’s London Football Awards.
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Sources have told ESPN that Palace boss Patrick Vieira is keen to keep Gallagher next season while Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is understood to be open to reintegrating the midfielder into his first-team set-up at Stamford Bridge.
However, when asked whether he has thought about next season’s plans, Gallagher told ESPN: “No, no, not at all. I just take every game as it comes to be honest. I’ve not thought too far ahead at all.
“I think in the stage we’re at in this season and where Palace are at as a team, we can’t afford to look too far into the future.
“We’ve got a very important end of the season, being in the quarter-final of the FA Cup now [against Everton] and needing to get points [in the Premier League] as well.”
Sources have told ESPN that Vieira was in almost daily communication with Chelsea last summer in an attempt to lure Gallagher to Selhurst Park.
“I feel like he understands my game very well,” Gallagher said. “He knew what I was best at even before I came to Crystal Palace he seemed to know what I do best and he told me that and he said ‘I want you to be yourself and to do the things you’re good at because that’s why you’re here.’
“It was a decision made by me and Chelsea. We felt like it was it was best for my development and for me to show what I can do. Obviously the manager being Patrick Vieira helps because of the player he was and the man he is but I just felt like Crystal Palace was the place where I could express myself the best.”
Gallagher continued his progress by making his senior England debut as a half-time substitute in last November’s 10-0 rout of San Marino.
England boss Gareth Southgate set to name his latest squad next week for games against Switzerland and Ivory Coast at the end of the month and Gallagher believes he is facing an uphill battle to establish himself in time for the World Cup finals in Qatar, starting in November.
“[The World Cup is] in the back of your mind but it’s nothing that I think about for a long period of time,” he added.
“It’s something where, if it does happen then, amazing, but I feel like I’ve got a lot of work to do. The squad is absolutely amazing. The players are top quality and it’s a very hard squad to get into. Everyone can see that. But all I can do is work as hard as I can and keep trying to improve and hopefully we’ll see where I’m at.”
James Olley is on the judging panel at the London Football Awards